“I read about their graduation rate being above the state average (for 2012),” she said Tuesday. “That made me think it would be a good move.”

Cox was one of many parents who came to Marion Community Schools buildings over the last two days to register students for 2013-14. Schools across Grant County will follow this week and next.

Allen Principal Anthony Williams visited with parents as they filled out registration paperwork. He’s part of a new regime at the school including about 10 new classroom teachers and a $2 million, three-year grant-funded partnership with school improvement agency Edison Learning that will bring iPads, additional staff and more student performance data to Allen this fall.

Linda Murray of Marion said she was excited about the grant after reading about it on the district’s website. She visited Allen with her son Larry and his daughter, 9-year-old Allen student Autumn, who chose to return to the school after a brief detour to Madison-Grant United Schools’ Park Elementary School.

Marion Community Schools is pleased to announce its new assistant superintendent for secondary instruction: Amy Rauch.

With the move, Rauch will be returning to a heavy focus on curriculum, and returning to Marion Community Schools, where she previously served as secondary instructional coordinator in 2010-2011. Since then, she has served as director of curriculum at Penn-Harris-Madison School Corp. in Mishawaka (approximate enrollment 10,400), and most recently as superintendent at Charles A. Beard Memorial School Corp. in Knightstown (approximate enrollment 1,300).

Prior to her previous time at MCS, she served as assistant principal and then principal at Elwood Community Schools in neighboring Madison County, where she also headed up ECS’s Migrant Summer School.

She brings expertise in curriculum development, district administration, professional development and much more. She was an integral part of the team that helped engineer Marion High School’s turnaround from an “F” school in danger of state takeover to an improving school with a “C” rating. She is excited to return to Marion as it continues to improve and innovate.

“Out of all my experiences, I really enjoyed being at Marion,” she said. “I’m excited to get back into Marion Community Schools and help continue to build on its recent success.”

That opportunity was part of what led her to consider the position at MCS, she said.

“It will hopefully be a smooth transition for me to come back in and continue to build on the successes,” she said.

Marion Community Schools Superintendent Brad Lindsay said MCS is fortunate to have such a strong leader returning to the team.

“Ms. Rauch will bring energy and expertise to Marion. Amy’s professional niche is to provide right leadership, direction, and support to our principals, teachers, staff and students. She is a high-level, enthusiastic leader of learning.”

Rauch is pursuing a doctoral degree in educational leadership at Purdue University. She earned her master’s in education and professional educator’s license there as well. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English at Michigan State University, and her teacher certification at Indiana University-South Bend.

She was named Assistant Principal of the Year for Indiana’s District 5 in 2006, for her work at Elwood Community Middle School, and she went on to serve on the selection committee for that award from the Indiana Association of School Principals in 2007 and 2008.

Marion Community Schools is pleased to announce its new director of elementary instruction: Brenda McVicker.

McVicker is a longtime Grant County resident and comes to MCS from neighboring Mississinewa Community Schools, where she was most recently principal at Northview Elementary School and has also been Title 1 coordinator. She previously served as assistant principal and was a Title 1 teacher.

She brings expertise in curriculum development, data analysis, professional development, parent involvement organization and much more, and MCS is excited to welcome her to the team. She will focus on P-4 education and will also head up Title 1 and high ability programming for the district.

As a Marion resident, McVicker has had a front-row view of the recent successes within Marion Community Schools. That’s part of what led her to consider the position at MCS, she said.

“This is an exciting time in Marion. I just feel very blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of it,” she said.

The Marion Community Schools team is doing the right things for students. The challenge, McVicker said, is to continue to make strategy adjustments so that students can fulfill their potential, and so that successes are shown in the test scores.

“Teachers work so hard,” she said. “I just really hope to be a resource to the elementary teachers and administrators.”

Marion Community Schools Superintendent Brad Lindsay said McVicker’s experience will be invaluable to MCS.

“Ms. McVicker is passionate about teaching and learning and has been highly effective in both corporate and school leadership roles,” Marion Community Schools Superintendent Brad Lindsay said. “Brenda is sold on the vision and direction of where Marion Community Schools is headed and enthusiastic about joining the Marion team.”

At Mississinewa, she helped develop a public preschool program that has now served hundreds of 3- and 4-year-olds.

“That’s a program I’m very proud of, and it is continuing to grow,” she said.

Early literacy is a point of passion for her, and she believes it is essential for students to have every opportunity to succeed. She is thrilled at the prospect of being able to expand opportunities for the youngest students her in Marion.

“I’m very appreciative of the opportunity to continue to serve the community in Grant County,” she said.

McVicker earned her principal’s license through advanced graduate study in educational administration at Indiana Wesleyan University, where she also earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in elementary education.

At least 35 Grant County third graders who failed this spring’s IREAD-3 exam will advance to fourth grade after passing a retest last month.

Marion Community Schools, Eastbrook Community Schools and Oak Hill United Schools reported 25, seven and three students, respectively, succeeded on a second IREAD-3 test in June after missing the mark in March.